The Island-Banished Noblewoman - Chapter 23 (Patreon)

I Want to Burn Bricks (2)
After that, Marylia tirelessly dried bricks, supervised the expansion of the brick drying area in between, and had the Terracotta Golems continually thatch roofs.

First, the bricks were left to dry for about a day, enough time for the water to drain out to the point they could be moved. Then they were placed in a sunny spot. If rain is expected, a roof would be necessary, but if the bricks are movable and it's a sunny day, it's better to lay them out in the sun wherever possible.

Bricks warmed by the sun all day dry faster. Occasionally flipping them ensures even drying. Just one day of sun-drying can dry them out significantly.

Once dry, the bricks can be stacked without much concern. They are stacked like small towers, leaving plenty of space between them to allow good air circulation. This way, they’re out of the way, and more space is available to make additional bricks.

As for the construction of the brick drying area, Marylia found herself in a position akin to a "site supervisor."

"Unit 1, keep supporting that pillar. Units 2 and 3, put the beam between the second and third pillars. Unit 4, go fetch some rope. Ah, Unit 5, the pillar is up. You should help Units 2 and 3 now."

Terracotta Golems, to some extent, follow commands. Instead of trying to automate, giving them detailed, step-by-step instructions can make them operate efficiently. While they can't handle commands like higher-ranking golems — "use these materials to build a structure like that one over there" — they are sufficient for her needs.

… In fact, Marylia started feeling as if she was giving instructions to people again. She nostalgically thought about her knights, wondering, "I wonder how everyone is doing?"

It didn’t take long for the Terracotta Golems to finish the roof framework. Even though they increased the number of pillars and expanded the area compared to last time, they still completed it in a fraction of the time it would have taken Marylia alone.

Indeed, having extra hands is invaluable. Realizing this once again, Marylia went to oversee Golems 6 through 10, who were clearing grass.

… And so, by the 28th day of exile on the island, the second brick drying area was successfully completed.

"Hooray~ it's done~"

Marylia clapped her hands cheerfully. The golems also mimicked clapping, but the sound from their unglazed clay hands was more of a "clunk, clink, thump" kind of noise. Still, this too made for a lively atmosphere.

"This brick drying area can also serve as a waiting area for you all. Once the brick-making settles down, let's have the Mud Golems wait here."

Currently, when it rains, the Mud Golems cease to be golems. If they could wait in a covered area, they wouldn’t break apart. From now on, she decided to move the Mud Golems here as soon as there was any sign of rain.

While Marylia was celebrating the completion of the second brick drying area…

There was a rustling noise from the bushes. The plants had long been trampled down in this frequently trafficked area, effectively becoming an animal path with no new growth…

"Oh my."

Rustle, rustle — what emerged from there was a Cockatrice.

"Everyone! Stop what you're doing! Prepare for battle! Grab anything that could serve as a weapon, wood or stone, within ten seconds!"

Marylia immediately closed her eyes and gave commands to the golems.

The golems that had been slowly making bricks quickly sprang into action under Marylia’s sharp orders.

Some picked up stones that Marylia had stashed away thinking, "These will make good stone tools." Others pulled logs from the firewood pile, while some grabbed the axe Marylia was using… A few clumsy ones fumbled around, but they managed to grab stones from the furnace.

The opponent was a Cockatrice, a chicken with a snake's tail.

However, it was quite large.

… From a quick glance, it was about the size of a human child. But more than its size, the Cockatrice’s danger lay in its petrifying gaze. The creature has the power to turn any creature it locks eyes with into stone. If Marylia got caught by that, it would be disastrous.

So, Marylia kept her eyes shut… And she gave further instructions to the golems.

"Target: Cockatrice! Four of you closest to the Cockatrice, circle behind it! Don’t let it escape!"

That's right. The Cockatrice only petrifies living creatures.

Which means, a golem unit is probably the worst possible opponent for a Cockatrice!

"Surround it! Once surrounded, attack! Prioritize hitting the snake head! … Oh, if the Cockatrice stops moving, you can stop hitting it!"

For a while, the sound of pounding echoed as the golems struck the Cockatrice, but when Marylia finally noticed and updated her command with a "that should be enough now," the golems stopped… Apparently, the Cockatrice was already dead.

Marylia opened her eyes and checked its corpse. Battered by the golems, the Cockatrice, minus its snake tail, looked like a giant chicken.

Marylia smiled and said, "More meat to stock up!"

As she resumed the brick-making, which had been interrupted by the Cockatrice's intrusion, Marylia began to butcher the Cockatrice alongside Terracotta Golems 1, 2, and 3.

First, she hung it up to drain the blood, plucked the feathers… As she worked, however, Marylia had to consider her next steps.

"A monster showing up at the base… this has never happened before. I guess I need to think about this."

This Cockatrice was likely separated from its flock. However, even if it was just wandering around, it was troubling that it came to the base.

If she were attacked while asleep, she could die. Especially if a Cockatrice was peering at her just as she woke up, there would be nothing she could do.

"... For that reason too, I really want a brick house soon."

That's right. Marylia wanted a brick house as a measure against storms.

However… upon further consideration, it would be better to have a house that could also provide some level of safety in the event of a monster attack like this one. The current bed and thatched-roof tent are far too unreliable against monster attacks.

Considering defense and safety, building a brick house is a top priority!

The Cockatrice’s neck was slit, and it was hung up for bloodletting. The drained blood would later be mixed with ground meat and offal for eating. She wouldn’t make blood sausage; Marylia had learned her lesson.

"Well, it's about time to dry the first batch of bricks with fire, isn’t it?"

The arrival of the Cockatrice had stalled her work, but Marylia was still in the process of making bricks. She decided to go check on the first batch of bricks she had set out to dry.

After about two and a half days since they were made, the bricks still held quite a bit of moisture inside, but their surfaces were dry. However, if she fired the bricks in this state, they would explode due to the steam trapped inside, so they needed more drying time.

"Alright, let's space them out a bit more and rearrange them..."

Muttering, "I guess this should do," Marylia carefully rearranged the drying bricks.

The bricks were stacked with ample space between them, forming something that looked like either a small tower or an enclosure.

Into the central space created by the stacked bricks, Marylia brought in firewood... She placed twigs underneath, added fibers and wood shavings, and struck sparks with a flint.

Having gotten the hang of it, she only needed to strike the flint a few times before a fire was kindled. As the small flame caught, she gently blew on it, causing it to grow until the twigs caught fire, and eventually, the firewood began to burn as well.

"That should do it!"

With a small fire lit inside the small brick tower like this, it would accelerate the drying of the bricks. The heat would help, and the fire would create airflow, improving ventilation even more.

She would also need to periodically rearrange the bricks to flip them over and ensure even drying on both sides, but the Terracotta Golems could handle that.

... After all, Terracotta Golems don’t get burned even when holding hot bricks. In this regard, they are more capable than Marylia!

Now then, the bricks would have to be left alone like this. She wanted to avoid the bricks exploding in the furnace from not being dry enough. Eventually, she would need to upgrade the furnace to a larger one, but now was not the time for that.

So, leaving the bricks to dry, she turned her attention back to butchering the Cockatrice.

“… Let’s split the snake part open and roast it later.”

For now, she had harvested a large amount of Cockatrice meat. Most of it resembled chicken meat.

She also collected plenty of feathers. The bones would be used for making broth and then spread in the fields as slime feed and fertilizer.

However... Marylia was a bit puzzled.

"Hmm, what should I do with the skin?"

... The snake part aside, the skin on the chicken part of the Cockatrice was thicker than regular chicken skin. However, compared to the hides used in leather products like cowhide, deerskin, or ostrich skin, it was quite thin. This Cockatrice wasn’t particularly large, so turning the skin into usable leather might be challenging.

“What should I do… Maybe roasting it until crispy would be the best?”

Marylia pondered a bit. She loved eating crispy roasted bird skin. Making crispy bird skin while rendering the fat was the best. A sprinkle of salt and munching on the crispy skin was delightful.

... However, it felt like a bit of a waste. After all, with so much meat left over, it seemed more appropriate to be roasting and eating the meat instead of spending time on the skin.

"Hmm... Oh, I know."

That’s when Marylia had an idea.

"Let’s make parchment."

That’s right. Marylia had thought of making parchment from the skin!

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